Combined wheel and air tank



Aug. 7, 1923.

C. OSBORN COMBINED WHEEL AND AIR TANK Fild Anal. 12. 1922 Patent Aug. 7,323.

cnrnn osnoma, or ntrao, eanrronnm.

cement nnr. Ann are TANK.

application filed August 12, 1922. Serial Ito. 581,421.

To all wlwm it may comem: v Be it known that I, CLYDE OsBonN, a citizenof the United States, residing at Milo, in the county of Tulare andStateof California, hs. 7e invented new and useful lmprovements in CombinedWheel and Air Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for supplying air under compression toautomobile tires and has for its principal object the utilization of thedisc wheel of a motor vehicle as a source of supply for air.

Another object of this invention is to store the air in the variouswheels of the automobile and to provide means for read-' ilytransferring the air to any tire on the .vehicle, that may be partlydeflated.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for readilyhaving access to the tank for connecting a tube that will transfer theair supply from the tank to a deflated wheel.

()ther objects and advantages will be apparent durlng the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are emploved to designate like parts throughoutthe same,

Figure 1 is a tranverse central section of my improved device, the viewbeing taken.

on the line 1-1 of Figure 2,

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation partly broken away of a portionof the tire and wheel, and g Figure 3 is a side elevation of the tireand wheel partly broken away and disclosing to advantage the meanswhereby access is had to the' interior of the tank.

It is a well known fact that when a tire has been either entirelydeflated or partly deflated, dueto a puncture or slow leak, it isnecessary for the operator to employ a pump for filling the deflatedtire. In the use of hand operated pum s the filling of a tire requirestime taking, laborious work. In order to eliminate this disadvantage andto provide the trade with a combined air supply tank and wheel, I havedevised my invention so that when a road trip is being taken theoccupants of the car will always have a su 'ply of air on hand in therespective whee s. so that the said sunplv can be transferred to any ofthe tires that may become deflated. 4

flanges I pro ose to secure by fastening elements 8, stee disc plates 9and 10. These plates are joined so as to provide a tread receivingmember 11 which is equipped with inwardly bent flanges 12 adapted toretain therein a neumatic tire casing. By making the w eel structure inthis manner an air tight tank will be provided.

In order to have access to the interior of the wheel, I propose toinsert between the two plates at a predetermined point an annular sleeve13 which is internally threaded as at M, so as to detachably recelvewrench engagin caps 15. v

The s cave is preferably welded to the discs 9 and 10 and forms anauxilia chamber 16 so as to retain therein flexib e tubes 17 and 18. Thetube 17 serves as an inlet to the inner tube 19, while the flexible tube18 serves as an inlet and outlet for the tank formed by the steel plates9 and 10, and in which tank there is stored the supply of air.

lit is to be understood that these tubes 17 and 18 are supplied with theusual needle valves or similar means for making a ready connection andconsequent transfer of the supply of air. ile but one wheel structure isshown, it is to be noted that each wheel is equipped as above described.lln transfer-rim the supply of air from the various whee s a length ofhose of conven-v tional type and conventionally equipped is to be used.

From the fore oing description taken in connection with t e accompanyingdrawing it will be evident that I have devised a unique storage meansfor air whereby the air can not only be transferred from the wheelproper to the tire carried on the wheel, but also can be transferredfrom one wheel or tank supply to any tire, for instance, from a rearwheel to a front wheel,

from the left front wheel to the right front wheel, from the left rearwheel to the ri ht rear wheel, or in other words universa l changeable.

It is to be understood that the form of .my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes 1n the purpose of illustration is shown a are shape,size and arrangement of parts may be. resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of the of a supplytank securedto said hub and I serving as a part of' the wheel structure 10 andadapted to retain a pneumatic tire thereon, and means for permittingaccess to said. tank, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A wheel for storing air therein, comprisin disc plates secured to thewheel hub, a trea seating member formed integral-with and co-operatingwith said plates and hub form an air tank, said tread seating memberadapted to receive thereon a pneumatic tire, and means for supplylng andwithdrawing the'supply of a1r from said tank and for withdrawing andsupplying the .air to said tire. a 4 Y 3. A wheel for storing airtherein comprising a hub provided with annular flanges, disc platessecured at their lnner extremisaid tread Seatinn' member adapted toreceive thereon apneumatic tire, and means formed in said lates forpermitting access to the supply 0 air in said tank.

4. A wheel for storing air therein com prisin a hub provided withannular flanges, disc p ates secured at their inner extremities to 'theflanges. of the hub, a tread seating member formed on the oppositeextremity of said disc plates and co-operating with said hub and platesto 01m a tank, said tread seating member adapted to re ceive thereon apneumatic tire, and means formed in said plates for permitting access tothe supply of air in said tank, said means comprisin a sleeve brazed tosaid disc plates, an formin an auxiliary chamber, and inlet and out etvalves positioned in said chamber and connected to said tank and tire,for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CLYDE OSBORN.

